A Defaced Radiocity 97FM Banner Tells A Story About Ugandans

My primary school English teacher in her quest to have her “darlings” take home the relevance of apologising always said, “sorry will save you from a battle of one thousand words”. Teacher Jane is long gone (RIP) but her words like on many days made sense today.

For twenty five months, I have been an employee of Radiocity 97FM, a place where I have cultivated experience towards the ultimate journalist of my childhood dreams. Twenty five is time enough to win me plus my allegiance over. So when my eyes landed on a defaced banner of my station, my Radiocity, no I wasn’t going to smile on.

The station’s logo had been replaced with a collage of Sanyu FM logos! As my colleagues expressed surprise that someone would do that, I visited the Sanyu FM 88.2 Facebook page only to be shocked that indeed, someone had done this. And more shockingly, the official Sanyu FM page had the picture of sheer valley-low stooping. The event whose photo album the picture belonged was a Sanyu FM fete.

“88.2 Sanyu FM, are we not stooping too low here? Defacing a Radiocity 97FM banner? Pic. from official Sanyu page” alongside “#ThingsSanyuFMCanCopyFromRadiocity“, I tweeted. Just for just. No hard feelings even in the wake of a bad joke about a station I have come to love dearly. In no time, a number of people equally surprised that a grandmother had stolen a child’s candy joined in. Many were unimpressed.

Tweets later, I saw it again. The Ugandan thing of defending the misdeeds of the “big” simply because they are big. Just last month, I watched on as some Ugandans defended a minister who said rape victims wearing “indecently” should not be listened to simply because girls are losing it and degenerating back to Adam’s suit.

They were back at it again. This time, lines such as “Sanyu can’t do that because they are Sanyu…even if they did, so what?” got retweeted and favorited. Defacing a banner found at a public place is justifiable because Sanyu did it. The picture was still up on the page by the time I hit ‘publish’ for this post.

I can’t imagine the torrent of backlash had this been the other way round; Seanice, Fatboy and all those other people tweeting about an incident where Radiocity defaced their banner and posted it online for its 50,000+ Facebook following. Not to mention the Sanyu FM listeners on Twitter many of whom stayed silent as their favorite station waded in murky waters.

As the never-to-happen scenario played in my head, someone I respect by default because she has been there done that, Seanice Kacungira, shocked me further. In a thread, the ‘queen of radio’ who goes by numerous such titles got insinuatory. “How do you know they didnt do it themselves?” she asked someone seeking her side’s word as the hashtag generated quite a good number of tweets. Did I mention Ms. Kacungira’s tweet started in a chicken way? My bad. The full tweet.

Humans became chicken and with no evidence, it was suggested that the group of people wondering why a rival’s Facebook page is carrying a picture of their defaced banner might be behind all this! According to that angle, someone here at Radiocity came up with a collage of Sanyu FM logos, went to Venom where the original banner was, probably attended whatever event it was, while everyone was busy pulling PSY moves, they stealthily plastered it on the Radiocity banner, and went ahead to hack into the Sanyu FM page to fix it right next to Seanice’s picture at the event. Sounds like someone is trying to out-stunt James Bond with a Seanice-tistic touch.

Ironically, a smiley Seanice who is seen in a picture bordering the defaced banner picture wanted none of this after her ballsy (acquire new balls already) tweet. “Leave me out of this”, she tweeted moments after her tweet above. Madam, it becomes your business when you indiscreetly add your voice to the crowd.

In ensuing tweets in which Seanice was copied, while some saw it as me, Songa Samuel-Stone, a nobody taking on queen S, it just corroborated the way people carry themselves around here because well, that is the way they are carried by others. Seanice partly goes ahead with the ridiculous claim that “they” might have done it simply because, when the big blunder, it is the fault of those offended. No evidence is needed. And they have starstruck followers kissing their feet in support.

One minute, Kibuule is right because feminine clothes are getting shorter…so we should rape them…and no one should listen. He denies and the public moves on. The other, a big brand such as Sanyu FM finds itself under some not flattering light and guess what, there are people who are very sure, that never happened, maybe photoshop was used, new radio is just trying to associate with the big fish because yada yada yada. Yaaadaaaa.

Something not right was done; the evidence seems stronger than the allegations. And we are coming up with excuses to defend the offender…after all, they are big. Untouchable. No surprise, Seanice sprouts out of God knows where and well aware the very people who hold her highly are not about to condemn the possibility someone in her camp did this, throws words around like she is eyeing Tamale Mirundi’s seat.

In an age where a screenshot can be used against you in the cyber courts of law (I am told even in some courts), pulling that picture off the page would have sounded more reasonable than the hollow excuses above. An apology in this case was like asking the Queen of England to carry a jerrycan of water but, STFU and letting the storm pass, was another option. Until Seanice snapped. Riding on the horse of a society evidently talented at irrelevant justification, the queen who does digital PR while away from the microphone, rode up the cliff of digital PR blunders.

And this is not personal. I must admit the first time I ever listened to this talented woman was last year. Truth. I am not a fan. And I have nothing against her. This was about a territory invaded. My radio. My Radiocity.

Shame upon whoever defaced that banner (and who posts that online for #TTs to be created?). Shame upon Seanice who clearly came into this with so much ego adamantly shunning the fact that a mistake had been made. And shame upon Ugandans who use every opportunity to winch up excuses in the wake of a misdeed, however excusable. And this wasn’t.

Samuel, does this suprise you? For me it doesn’t. Reason, for as long as i’ve been in uganda,i’ve seen and heard such incidences quite often being done by the ‘i’ve been there’. Ask upcoming artists and they will tell you how their songs have severally been hijacked by the so called big artists! The examples here are countless. Same senario for the media where tv and radio stations have resorted to being copycats,similar programmes,same scripts! How about senior media personels hijacking programme proposals? Telecommunication companies or politicians? Creativity Level is near to zero!

No disrespect or wat… But ‘CHRISTINE MAWADRI’ wasn’t the best mind to be signed by Sanyu Fm to help them win Trophies again. Sanyu is now like Man Utd… Moyes replacing Ferguson!!! How do u expect a Trophy??? Nowadays, only 3 voices deserve to be on Sanyu’s MIC: Big Ben, Crystal & Fat Boy. Mark my Order. Mawadri is great but for a Club like Sanyu. BTW, Crystal was doing one hell of a job… why bring in Mawadri..!!!! #TekikolaSense